Craeke；　standing　on　the　deck　of　the　boat；　saw；　across　the
  moving　sails　of　the　windmills；　on　the　slope　of　the　hill；　the
  red　and　pink　house　which　was　the　goal　of　his　errand。　The
  outlines　of　its　roof　were　merging　in　the　yellow　foliage　of　a
  curtain　of　poplar　trees；　the　whole　habitation　having　for
  background　a　dark　grove　of　gigantic　elms。　The　mansion　was
  situated　in　such　a　way　that　the　sun；　falling　on　it　as　into　a
  funnel；　dried　up；　warmed；　and　fertilised　the　mist　which　the
  verdant　screen　could　not　prevent　the　river　wind　from
  carrying　there　every　morning　and　evening。
  Having　disembarked　unobserved　amid　the　usual　bustle　of　the
  city；　Craeke　at　once　directed　his　steps　towards　the　house
  which　we　have　just　described；　and　which　　white；　trim；　and
  tidy；　even　more　cleanly　scoured　and　more　carefully　waxed　in
  the　hidden　corners　than　in　the　places　which　were　exposed　to
  view　　enclosed　a　truly　happy　mortal。
  This　happy　mortal；　rara　avis；　was　Dr。　van　Baerle；　the　godson
  of　Cornelius　de　Witt。　He　had　inhabited　the　same　house　ever
  since　his　childhood；　for　it　was　the　house　in　which　his
  father　and　grandfather；　old　established　princely　merchants
  of　the　princely　city　of　Dort；　were　born。
  Mynheer　van　Baerle　the　father　had　amassed　in　the　Indian
  trade　three　or　four　hundred　thousand　guilders；　which　Mynheer
  van　Baerle　the　son；　at　the　death　of　his　dear　and　worthy
  parents；　found　still　quite　new；　although　one　set　of　them
  bore　the　date　of　coinage　of　1640；　and　the　other　that　of
  1610；　a　fact　which　proved　that　they　were　guilders　of　Van
  Baerle　the　father　and　of　Van　Baerle　the　grandfather；　but　we
  will　inform　the　reader　at　once　that　these　three　or　four
  hundred　thousand　guilders　were　only　the　pocket　money；　or
  sort　of　purse；　for　Cornelius　van　Baerle；　the　hero　of　this
  story；　as　his　landed　property　in　the　province　yielded　him　an
  income　of　about　ten　thousand　guilders　a　year。
  When　the　worthy　citizen；　the　father　of　Cornelius；　passed
  from　time　into　eternity；　three　months　after　having　buried
  his　wife；　who　seemed　to　have　departed　first　to　smooth　for
  him　the　path　of　death　as　she　had　smoothed　for　him　the　path
  of　life；　he　said　to　his　son；　as　he　embraced　him　for　the　last
  time；
  〃Eat；　drink；　and　spend　your　money；　if　you　wish　to　know　what
  life　really　is；　for　as　to　toiling　from　morn　to　evening　on　a
  wooden　stool；　or　a　leathern　chair；　in　a　counting…house　or　a
  laboratory；　that　certainly　is　not　living。　Your　time　to　die
  will　also　come；　and　if　you　are　not　then　so　fortunate　as　to
  have　a　son；　you　will　let　my　name　grow　extinct；　and　my
  guilders；　which　no　one　has　ever　fingered　but　my　father；
  myself；　and　the　coiner；　will　have　the　surprise　of　passing　to
  an　unknown　master。　And　least　of　all；　imitate　the　example　of
  your　godfather；　Cornelius　de　Witt；　who　has　plunged　into
  politics；　the　most　ungrateful　of　all　careers；　and　who　will
  certainly　come　to　an　untimely　end。〃
  Having　given　utterance　to　this　paternal　advice；　the　worthy
  Mynheer　van　Baerle　died；　to　the　intense　grief　of　his　son
  Cornelius；　who　cared　very　little　for　the　guilders；　and　very
  much　for　his　father。
  Cornelius　then　remained　alone　in　his　large　house。　In　vain
  his　godfather　offered　to　him　a　place　in　the　public　service；
  in　vain　did　he　try　to　give　him　a　taste　for　glory；
  although　Cornelius；　to　gratify　his　godfather；　did　embark
  with　De　Ruyter　upon　〃The　Seven　Provinces；〃　the　flagship　of　a
  fleet　of　one　hundred　and　thirty…nine　sail；　with　which　the
  famous　admiral　set　out　to　contend　singlehanded　against　the
  combined　forces　of　France　and　England。　When；　guided　by　the
  pilot　Leger；　he　had　come　within　musket…shot　of　the　〃Prince；〃
  with　the　Duke　of　York　（the　English　king's　brother）　aboard；
  upon　which　De　Ruyter；　his　mentor；　made　so　sharp　and　well
  directed　an　attack　that　the　Duke；　perceiving　that　his　vessel
  would　soon　have　to　strike；　made　the　best　of　his　way　aboard
  the　〃Saint　Michael〃；　when　he　had　seen　the　〃Saint　Michael；〃
  riddled　and　shattered　by　the　Dutch　broadside；　drift　out　of
  the　line；　when　he　had　witnessed　the　sinking　of　the　〃Earl　of
  Sandwich；〃　and　the　death　by　fire　or　drowning　of　four　hundred
  sailors；　when　he　realized　that　the　result　of　all　this
  destruction　　after　twenty　ships　had　been　blown　to　pieces；
  three　thousand　men　killed　and　five　thousand　injured　　was
  that　nothing　was　decided；　that　both　sides　claimed　the
  victory；　that　the　fighting　would　soon　begin　again；　and　that
  just　one　more　name；　that　of　Southwold　Bay；　had　been　added　to
  the　list　of　battles；　when　he　had　estimated　how　much　time　is
  lost　simply　in　shutting　his　eyes　and　ears　by　a　man　who　likes
  to　use　his　reflective　powers　even　while　his　fellow　creatures
  are　cannonading　one　another；　　Cornelius　bade　farewell　to
  De　Ruyter；　to　the　Ruart　de　Pulten；　and　to　glory；　kissed　the
  knees　of　the　Grand　Pensionary；　for　whom　he　entertained　the
  deepest　veneration；　and　retired　to　his　house　at　Dort；　rich
  in　his　well…earned　repose；　his　twenty…eight　years；　an　iron
  constitution　and　keen　perceptions；　and　his　capital　of　more
  than　four　hundred　thousands　of　florins　and　income　of　ten
  thousand；　convinced　that　a　man　is　always　endowed　by　Heaven
  with　too　much　for　his　own　happiness；　and　just　enough　to　make
  him　miserable。
  Consequently；　and　to　indulge　his　own　idea　of　happiness；
  Cornelius　began　to　be　interested　in　the　study　of　plants　and
  insects；　collected　and　classified　the　Flora　of　all　the　Dutch
  islands；　arranged　the　whole　entomology　of　the　province；　on
  which　he　wrote　a　treatise；　with　plates　drawn　by　his　own
  hands；　and　at　last；　being　at　a　loss　what　to　do　with　his
  time；　and　especially　with　his　money；　which　went　on
  accumulating　at　a　most　alarming　rate；　he　took　it　into　his
  head　to　select　for　himself；　from　all　the　follies　of　his
  country　and　of　his　age；　one　of　the　most　elegant　and
  expensive；　　he　became　a　tulip…fancier。
  It　was　the　time　when　the　Dutch　and　the　Portuguese；　rivalling
  each　other　in　this　branch　of　horticulture；　had　begun　to
  worship　that　flower；　and　to　make　more　of　a　cult　of　it　than
  ever　naturalists　dared　to　make　of　the　human　race　for　fear　of
  arousing　the　jealousy　of　God。
  Soon　people　from　Dort　to　Mons　began　to　talk　of　Mynheer　van
  Baerle's　tulips；　and　his　beds；　pits；　drying…rooms；　and
  drawers　of　bulbs　were　visited；　as　the　galleries　and
  libraries　of　Alexandria　were　by　illustrious　Roman
  travellers。
  Van　Baerle　began　by　expending　his　yearly　revenue　in　laying
  the　groundwork　of　his　collection；　after　which　he　broke　in
  upon　his　new　guilders　to　bring　it　to　perfection。　His
  exertions；　indeed；　were　crowned　with　a　most　magnificent
  result：　he　produced　three　new　tulips；　which　he　called　the
  〃Jane；〃　after　his　mother；　the　〃Van　Baerle；〃　after　his
  father；　and　the　〃Cornelius；〃　after　his　godfather；　the　other
  names　have　escaped　us；　but　the　fanciers　will　be　sure　to　find
  them　in　the　catalogues　of　the　times。
  In　the　beginning　of　the　year　1672；　Cornelius　de　Witt　came　to
  Dort　for　three　months；　to　live　at　his　old　family　mansion；
  for　not　only　was　he　born　in　that　city；　but　his　family　had
  been　resident　there　for　centuries。
  Cornelius；　at　that　period；　as　William　of　Orange　said；　began
  to　enjoy　the　most　perfect　unpopularity。　To　his　fellow
  citizens；　the　good　burghers　of　Dort；　however；　he　did　not
  appear　in　the　light　of　a　criminal　who　deserved　to　be　hung。
  It　is　true；　they　did　not　particularly　like　his　somewhat
  austere　republicanism；　but　they　were　proud　of　his　valour；
  and　when　he　made　his　entrance　into　their　town；　the　cup　of
  honour　was　offered　to　him；　readily　enough；　in　the　name　of
  the　city。
  After　having　thanked　his　fellow　citizens；　Cornelius
  proceeded　to　his　old　paternal　house；　and　gave　directions　for
  some　repairs；　which　he　wished　to　have　executed　before　the
  arrival　of　his　wife　and　children；　and　thence　he　wended　his
  way　to　the　house　of　his　godson；　who　perhaps　was　the　only
  person　in　Dort　as　yet　unacquainted　with　the　presence　of
  Cornelius　in　the　town。
  In　the　same　degree　as　Cornelius　de　Witt　had　excited　the
  hatred　of　the　people　by　sowing　those　evil　seeds　which　are
  called　political　passions；　Van　Baerle　had　gained　the
  affections　of　his　fellow　citizens　by　completely　shunning　the
  pursuit　of　politics；　absorbed　as　he　was　in　the　peaceful
  pursuit　of　cultivating　tulips。
  Van　Baerle　was　truly　beloved　by　his　servants　and　labourers；
  nor　had　he　any　conception　that　there　was　in　this　world　a　man
  who　wished　ill　to　another。
  And　yet　it　must　be　said；　to　the　disgrace　of　mankind；　that
  Cornelius　van　Baerle；　without　being　aware　of　the　fact；　had　a
  much　more　ferocious；　fierce；　and　implacable　enemy　than　the
  Grand　Pensionary　and　his　brother　had　among　the　Orange　party；
  who　were　most　hostile　to　the　devoted　brothers；　who　had　never
  been　sundered　by　the　least　misunderstanding　during　their
  lives；　and　by　their　mutual　devotion　in　the　face　of　death
  made　sure　the　existence　of　their　brotherly　affection　beyond
  the　grave。
  At　the　time　when　Cornelius　van　Baerle　began　to　devote
  himself　to　tulip…growing；　expending　on　this　hobby　his　yearly
  revenue　and　the　guilders　of　his　father；　there　was　at　Dort；
  living　next　door　to　him；　a　citizen　of　the　name　of　Isaac
  Boxtel　who　from　the　age　whe